Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Fox News personality among most notable alumni of CSU Pueblo

Colorado State University Pueblo has produced several professional athletes from its athletic programs over the years, but they're not the only former students who became notable names in their fields.

From local politicians and authors to a White House press secretary and a National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, CSU Pueblo has produced its share of notable alumni.

Here are seven people who attended or graduated from CSU Pueblo and made a name for themselves in Pueblo and beyond.

Baseball hall of famer Rich 'Goose' Gossage

Best known as an overpowering right-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball, Gossage was born in Colorado Springs and attended the now-defunct Roy J. Wasson High School.

He enrolled at CSU Pueblo after being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 1970 MLB Draft, according to the university. He attended the university for just one quarter before deciding to focus on baseball. Unfortunately for Pueblo baseball fans, he never took the field for CSU Pueblo.

Gossage went on to become one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB, spending most of his career with the Yankees. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Fox News personality Dana Perino

Perhaps CSU Pueblo’s most well-known alum, Perino graduated from the university in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication.

Today, she co-anchors America's Newsroom on Fox News and co-hosts The Five, a separate talk show on the network. She joined Fox News as a contributor in 2009.

Last year, Perino co-moderated the second Republican presidential primary debate and delivered a commencement address at her alma mater.

Before joining Fox News, Perino was appointed as the 26th White House Press Secretary in 2007 and held that role until 2009, the end of the George W. Bush administration.

More: These four professional athletes made their names in Pueblo. Here's where they are now

Student opportunity advocate Arnold L. Mitchem

Mitchem graduated from CSU Pueblo when it was known as the University of Southern Colorado before earning his doctorate at Marquette University.

In 1986, he became president of the Council for Opportunity in Education, an organization that seeks to expand college opportunities for low-income and first-generation students, as well as those with disabilities.

According to the COE, Mitchem has been a voice for those students throughout his career and because of his work, federally-funded TRIO programs have expanded exponentially and serve nearly 900,000 students at 1,200 colleges and universities.

He is currently president emeritus of the COE.

Football coach Jim Ryan

Ryan graduated from CSU Pueblo in 2000 and was an assistant football coach at a few universities to begin his coaching career.

He was named defensive coordinator for Washington University in 2012 and helped lead a defense that ranked fifth in NCAA Division III. The team won University Athletic Association titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015 and competed in the NCAA Division III Football Championship in 2013.

In 2015, Ryan won the NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year award. It helped earn him his first head coaching gig at Rhodes College, which also competes in NCAA Division III.

In his first season, Ryan led Rhodes to a 6-4 record, which was the best mark for a first-year head coach since 1962, according to the college.

Ryans continued to lead that program until 2019. He compiled a 16-24 record as head coach, though it had been an even 15-15 before a 1-9 season during his final year.

Colorado House Rep. Tisha Mauro

Mauro worked at the Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder’s Office and as a sales manager at an auto dealership before being elected to represent Pueblo County in House District 46. She went to Pueblo County High School and later graduated from CSU Pueblo.

Mauro announced in November that she is seeking reelection. Her district includes much of the city of Pueblo and the southwestern corner of the county.

Though she missed a good portion of her first full legislative session because of health issues, Mauro has sponsored several bills since then, including one that created new railroad safety protections.

Pueblo politician Daneya Esgar

Esgar graduated from Pueblo South High School and CSU Pueblo and became an elected official representing Pueblo. She was selected to be a Pueblo County commissioner last year — replacing another notable CSU Pueblo alumnus, former BOCC Chairman Garrison Ortiz — and announced in January that she is seeking a full, four-year term.

Before joining the BOCC, Esgar represented Pueblo for four consecutive terms in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023.

She sponsored several bills during her time in the House, many of which centered on public safety, healthcare, education and equity, among other topics.

Award-winning author and writer Patricia Marcantonio

Marcantonio earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a distinction in mass communications from the University of Southern Colorado, now CSU Pueblo. Today, she is a novelist who's written several books and short stories, some of which captured awards.

She is perhaps best known as the author of the Victorian mystery series "Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit" and "Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace," but she's also written some plays and screenplays, including one that placed first at the Willamette Writers Kay Snow Writing Contest. 

Marcantonio also was a reporter who covered crime and has given writing presentations at different conferences.

Editor's note: This story was updated to note that Daneya Esgar graduated from Pueblo South High School, not Pueblo Central High School.

Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: MLB hall of famer, Fox News host among CSU Pueblo's most famous alumni